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The villages are few and far between with a very small population but almost
every village has a village godling. The district has some big and ancient Buddhist and
Hindu temples. Besides, stones of various types, hill tops and dangerous crags are also
worshipped. The legends associated with the temples, gods, goddesses and godlings are
legion. In this district holymen and saints are quickly deified. There are Tibetan gods,
manifestations of Buddha and Hindu gods and goddesses, godlings besides a legion of
spirits and ghosts that are worshipped.
Lamaism as prevalent in Tibet has a strong grip
on the people of Kinnaur and naturally the people believe in an endless stream of
incarnations of the godmen (Lamas) who are looked upto as almost gods. All this has given
to almost every village in Kinnaur a particular Devta.
Both the Lama and a Brahmin act there as the
priest. Divination, by a sheet of 50 picture cards is unique in this district. The ruling
family of Bushahr in the tahsil before the district came into being was held to be of
divine origin.Each Raja of Bushahr after death was supposed to be reincarnated, as the
Guru-Lama understood to be the Dalai Lama. An important incarnation for the Buddhists of
Kinnaur are known as Locharimbochhe and when a particular Locharimbochhe dies another has
to be identified by the Dalai Lama.
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